Jaylen Clark says new Timberwolves deal freed him from contract-year pressure

Timberwolves forward Jaylen Clark says contract worry fueled his second-year shooting drop, and his new $10 million-plus deal has lifted the pressure.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaylen Clark says worry over his next contract helped drag down his shooting last season. The three-year deal worth more than $10 million that he signed in late June, he believes, has changed his outlook entering his third NBA campaign.

Clark arrived in Minnesota as a second-round pick carrying few expectations for immediate contribution. He outperformed that modest billing as a rookie, converting 43 percent of his three-point attempts while posting a true shooting percentage near 60.

His second season told a different story. Clark's accuracy from beyond the arc sank to roughly 33 percent, a fall of nearly ten percentage points, and his form faded as the year closed. His original contract was guaranteed only through his second season, and he acknowledged that not knowing what might follow helped set off a prolonged slump.

"Yeah, because my first year I ain't gonna lie I was just like having fun," Clark said. "It didn't matter because my next year was set." He added that anyone claiming to block out the money talk is not being straight: "I think anyone who tells you they're not, they're lying, if you know what I mean. That's life-changing money. … So it's like, it just, it weighs on you for sure."

The former UCLA player described how his perceived value swung with his results during the contract push. "I don't really care if I miss or make," Clark said. "I think last year, especially with being in contract year — I think that's another thing that weighs over your head a ton, because I got off to a first like a good thirty games and then you hear you're gonna be worth this number. Then you play ten bad games and now you're like, okay, 'where am I at now?'" He said that during that stretch "every shot feels like the weight of the world, because you're trying to get to a certain number."

The gap between Clark's initial earnings and those of top selections from the same period was wide. His first contract guaranteed $2.6 million at signing, while Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, signed for north of $55 million — almost $53 million more than Clark's guarantee.

Clark also pointed to a league-wide pattern in which players push for extensions rather than playing out their existing agreements. "A lot of guys don't make it to their last year in their contracts anymore," he said, noting that most now aim to be extended and secure their guaranteed money. Having that question answered, he said, "will help me a ton."

There is a basketball opening as well. With several veteran wings gone from the second unit, Clark lines up for an expanded role and the opportunity to show he is worth the more than $10 million guaranteed in his new agreement.

Heading into year three, Clark says he feels considerably less pressure and far more confidence in his jumper, a shift he ties directly to the security of the new contract.